The Burrow
by ricetard
Summary: At the burrow, before Harry comes, Ron and Hermione share a moment alone together. Set in time of the 6th book during the summer. Friendship, hinted romance, Ron/Hermione one-sided Harry/Hermione


Ron heard a knock at his bedroom door. "Come in," he called from reading the book on his bed.

The door creaked open. Ron turned around and smiled when he saw Hermione in the doorway. "Hey," he greeted.

Hermione walked in and rested on the foot of Ron's bed. "Hey," she said back in quiet voice.

"Awake already?" Ron chuckled and glanced at the magical clock beside his bed. "Even though it's only seven o'clock."

"Well. You know." Hermione shrugged.

Ron glanced at her worriedly, taking his attention off his book. "What? Can't sleep? I _told_ Mum that mattress was faulty, but she wouldn't listen—"

"No, it's not that!" Hermione said quickly. "It's…" She fingered with the blanket sitting underneath her. "I miss Harry."

"Oh." Ron's face fell, and he stared at the words on the paper that no longer meant anything to him.

Hermione stared at him across the bed. "Ron? What's wrong?"

Ron shook his head and didn't say anything. He seemed oddly concentrated on his book. "Nothing," he mumbled.

Hermione peered at him closely. Then she leaned over to see what he was so focused on. And then she let out a noise that sounded like the mixture of a stifled giggle and a snort.

"Ronald," she managed to choke out. "Are you _reading_?"

Even in the darkness of the room, where the sun hadn't risen quite yet, Ron clearly flushed a dark red. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am!" he said indignantly.

"What are you reading?" The girl made a grab for the book. But Ron pulled it back.

"It's nothing! Don't worry about it!" he said, bringing it close to his chest.

"Oh come on, Ron," Hermione insisted. "I'm the one always bugging you to read. And now that you finally are, I deserve to know what you're reading."

"It's nothing!" Ron exclaimed again. He tried to pull it back once more, but when Hermione made to snatch at it across the bed, her fingers managed to pry it out of his hands. Victorious, she smiled smugly at him before flipping the book over to look at the cover.

"'Mione, before you get the wrong idea, I—"

" 'How to Charm a Witch!'" Hermione's voice was laden with amusement. She glanced at Ron. "You're learning how to charm a witch, Ron?"

"It's not because I'm desperate, I just—"

"You don't needto _learn_ how." She started flipping through the pages. "The key is just to be yourself. Though I suppose giving gifts won't hurt." She paused at a page for a second, before sighing and tossing it away. "If a girl really loves you, she'll love you for who you are."

"But what if no girl will ever love me for who I am?" Ron asked her.

Hermione smiled at him, and her smile was bright even in the shadows. "I'm sure a girl will, Ron."

Ron felt an odd swelling at the pit of his stomach at this, but disregarded it as hunger. Instead, he said, "Thanks," to her and smiled back. Then he glanced at the book, which was now on the floor. "Now can I have my book back?"

"No," Hermione replied cheekily. And just for good measure, she brought the book back up and sat on it.

Ron pouted. "Aw, why not?" he asked her.

"You have to tell me why you were upset earlier. And then I'll give it to you." Hermione gave Ron a firm look.

He glanced away and sighed. "Fine. But then you'll give me my book back."

"Yes. I will. And you can take whatever rubbish advice it gives you." Hermione rolled her eyes.

Ron sighed. "Fine."

They sat there in a few moments of silence. Hermione watched him. "Well? I'm listening."

"I…" Ron looked out to his window. "I don't know. It's how you always treat Harry as your best guy friend. And I'm just your friend. And it's like…whenever he's not around, all you do is talk about him. And I just… I don't know."

Hermione took the book out from under her and reset it on the bed, in front of him. Then she gazed at Ron. Ron thought it might have been his imagination, but he swore she saw tears in her eyes.

"Ronald." She shook her head and let out a small laugh. "I'm sorry. I just… Harry _is_ my best guy friend. He is."

She paused for a second. Ron waited more.

"But you're my best friend. Out of everyone. Out of Lavender, Parvati, Harry, Neville, Ginny." She looked at him. "I… I know we've had our share of fights, more than anyone I know. But I don't know either. Maybe it's how we understand each other more than anyone else does, or the way we forgive each other, but…" She met his eyes. "I _do_ love Harry, and it's because he's here is why I miss him so much. But I'm around you more and I wouldn't have it any other way. Because I know you more. And you know how I value knowledge."

Hermione chuckled a bit to fill in the awkward silence that fell. Ron glanced up from his concentration on picking the lint off his bed and looked at her.

"I'm glad you're in Gryffindor, though," he said to her. "It seems more you."

Hermione beamed at him. "See? You _do_ understand me."

"Plus." Ron looked at her. "I'd never have met you."

Hermione visibly turned pink in the dark (though not as obvious as Ron). But she didn't say anything. Instead, she just smiled at Ron, leaning in by a fraction of a centimeter.

Ron suddenly realized how close they were together. He could see every faint brown freckle on Hermione's face, smell the scent from her freshly washed hair, feel the warm breath tingling on her cheek, and a stray hair had fallen into her face, so he moved over to brush it away…

Instinctively, they got closer. The bed underneath them became insignificant, the thread from his blanket that he was twirling in his fingers suddenly disappeared from his mind's eye and it was just him, just him and Hermione—

"Children! Breakfast is ready!"

The sound of Ron's mother interrupted Ron and Hermione, breaking them out of their thoughts and from each other's gaze. Blushing, Hermione pulled back and said, "We-We should go downstairs."

"Yeah." Ron was faintly red too.

They sat there for a moment. Then Hermione got up from the bed and turned to Ron. "Coming?" she said.

Ron climbed out of bed and followed her of the doorway. But before they left his room, he briefly kissed her on the cheek, and then quickly went ahead of her and made his way downstairs. Hermione stood there for a second, shocked at what had just happened. But then she smiled, and climbed down the stairs as well, the conversation they had shared and the kiss Ron have given her, left in the privacy of the room


End file.
